Truth Serum
by Arisluv
Summary: Buffy's under a spell to help her say what she feels. Wackiness ensues.


Author: Willowschild aka Arisluv

Title: Truth Serum

Rating: FRC

Pairing: B/G with mentions of the others

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sorry if you don't like it, blame Joss. He's greedy and keeps the characters all to himself.

Spoilers: Eh, I guess through Season 4 but it's really open to interpretation and barely mentions anything.

A/N: Written for Allthejellies Themeless Ficathon Conditions below:

Name: Doyle  
Season: 4  
Three requirements for your fic: the park, sunlight, snarky Giles  
Three restrictions for your fic: no character/ship bashing, please  
(I'm a Riley fan. If you can't bear to treat him well, I'm fine with  
just leaving him out.) No major angst.  
Rating preference: no explicit smut

Buffy was well and buggered by the time Giles showed up, or so he thought. All appearances led him to believe that his young slayer was indeed drunk. Her words were slurred slightly and she was having great difficulty standing up. She did, however, look happier than he had seen her in a very long while. Giles resigned himself not to judge and simply join the others in their merriment. Trying not to think about the implications of a drunk slayer, even if this wasn't the result of magical beer, Giles sat beside Xander on the Merry-go-round.

"Remind me again whose idea it was to hold a Scooby meeting in broad daylight?" Xander asked as he eyed the outlying woods and play areas for any signs of intruders. "I mean, come on guys, it's easier on me to guard the perimeter if said perimeter includes walls and oh WALLS!"

"Xander, do calm down. I believe that our greater concern is that Buffy is rather incapacitated at the moment. Who gave her alcohol anyways?" Giles sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Willow and Tara looked at one another, giggled, looked back to Giles, giggled again and finally broke into a full on laugh when their glances turned to Buffy. "What in heaven's name have I missed this time?"

"Um, well, I don't think she's drunk G-man," Xander commented just as Buffy started swinging again. Buffy was singing _Feelings_ off-key and at the top of her lungs.

"Then what, may I ask, is that?"

"M-mr Giles? Um. I think that's our fault. We, that is, well, um… Willow only wanted to help. B-buffy wanted to be able to say what she felt. We," Tara was fumbling through the explanation ashamed that she'd let her magic get out of hand and even more upset that Giles would be the one finding out about it.

"We gave her a little push," Willow interrupted then took her girlfriend's hand in hers. "Please don't be angry."

"Why should I be angry? My slayer is under the influence of incredibly strong magic, she's giddy, playful and acting rather like a light- headed 4- year- old. Why in the Powers name should I be angry?"

"Uh oh" Buffy giggled. "That's the Watcher angry face. Who made my Watcher angry?" By this point, Buffy had rolled off the swing and was now standing with her hands on her hips and an adorable pout on her face. "I didn't do it did I? I would feel very bad if I'd done it. I've hurt you too much this year anyways."

Giles sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and willed away the migraine that threatened to come his way. Instead of focusing on his anger, Giles focused on the way sunlight played off of Buffy's golden tresses. To be fair, he wanted her to always have the freedom to speak her mind, but this wasn't how he wanted it to be. He loved listening to Buffy being Buffy, not Buffy being free of the few inhibitions left to her. This wasn't right. This wasn't really his slayer.

"No Buffy, you didn't make me angry. I just am upset at the current circumstances I've found you in is all. I am not bloody pleased with two witches however, and where in heaven's name is Anya?"

Buffy's lip quivered as Giles shouted. If she really thought about it, she'd be more upset over the fact that Giles seemed so concerned about Anya, but to some extent she still believed that Giles was angry with her. Buffy hated thinking that Giles was ever angry with or disappointed in her. Buffy bit her lip to make it stop quivering. Someone else could answer his question.

"Um, she left. Said she wouldn't stay where she was neither useful nor wanted." Xander seemed far less concerned that his girlfriend was gone than he should have been.

"Bloody buggering hell! Why would she feel that way?"

"Because Buffy said as much?" Willow offered. Giles turned his attention to the blonde who was now looking everywhere but at him.

"Buffy, dear heart, why would you say that to Anya?" Giles could tell that his temper was threatening to break through his carefully erected walls. That was all it took to get Buffy talking at rapid fire speeds.

"Well, because it's true. She's not really anyone's friend, she never loved Xander, hated us, and, well, she wasn't even really human. She said all the wrong things at all the wrong times. All she cares about is money and sex and I'm not really sure which one is more important to her. And she's been cheating on Xander ever since Spike moved in with her." Buffy took a deep breath. "And really, Xander's better off. Spike is more human than Anya any day and I've seen the way he looks at Xan. I really think that this is a good opportunity for them both. Maybe they've been looking for love in all the wrong places." Buffy shrugged again and made a little giggle. Xander looked like his jaw might drop. He'd never told anyone of his bisexual tendencies and had in fact fought with them internally. Likewise, Willow and Tara were equally shocked that Buffy would be the one to suggest such a thing to Xander. Giles, as par for the course, cleansed his glasses.

Giles was having a hard time accepting what he'd just been told. Sure, Anya was often a petulant child and rather outspoken at that, but he'd thought that she was at least part of their group (albeit a greedy and often times inappropriate member), but now he wondered.

"Buffy, dear heart, what possessed you to make such a rash decision as to become bewitched just so you can speak your mind?" Giles closed his eyes and tried to will away the last 24 hours. Upon reopening his eyes, Giles found that nothing had changed. So much for that idea.

"Um, it seemed like the right thing to do. I didn't think it would hurt anything to get a little help breaking up with Riley. I mean, he's a nice guy and all but he's just not the right one for me. I just didn't have the heart to tell him that he was really just a rebound guy." Buffy blew a tuft of hair away from her face and sat cross-legged on the ground. As soon as she did, the hair fell back down. She tried again. The hair remained stubborn and continued to fall over her eyes. Buffy was thankful for the hair because it took her focus away from Giles' eyes and lower sections of his body. Giles cleared his throat and replaced his glasses on his nose.

"Quite. Well, while I must say, about bloody time, to your decision to end things with young Riley, I do not condone the manner in which you went about it." Giles could tell this wasn't going his way though as Buffy was very near tears and Tara had already reached that point. "Willow, could you please take Tara home?"

"Yeah Wills, you and Tara go home and call Oz. I mean I think it would be good for you all to work through this thing together. Um, I mean. Oh. Dang it, Oz is good for you. He's your strength. Tara's your heart. And you're the wisdom. You get it?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Willow watched her friend in amazement. "How is it that she can be so out of it one moment and completely coherent the next?"

"Enchantments are tricky like that Willow. That's why it's so important that while you're learning you use supervision." Giles helped Willow and Tara up from the ground. He hugged both girls gently. "I'm sorry for being so harsh. It's just, have you any idea what you've risked today?"

"Y-yes,(hic) M-mr. Giles. S-sorry (hic)." Tara leaned into Willow's touch and looked away from her lover's mentor. She was indeed ashamed but at the same time quite glad that she'd done the spell. Tara had been trying to work up the nerve to suggest just what Buffy had for a month now but she just couldn't find the words. Tara kissed Willow's cheek as they walked away.

Giles turned his attention to Xander who was already pulling himself up from the spinning contraption he'd been sitting on. Sadly, his legs were longer now than they'd been just a few years ago and he found himself tangled up in the bars that were intended to hold a child in place.

"Say no more G-man. As soon as I get myself untangled, I'll be on my merry way to check in on Fangless, er Spike."

"For the last time, please refrain from using that insipid nickname for me. If you must insist on calling me something other than Giles, might I ask that you attempt to use my given name? Rupert will indeed suffice for me."

"Right G- Rupert. Got it … whoa!" Just then, Xander tumbled backward off the merry-go-round and banged his head off the ground below. "Ow! Oh ow!"

"Oh Xander! Are you ok? I could take care of that for you. I'm very good at head wounds what with taking care of Giles all the time and everything."

"No, Buff. That's ok. I'll be fine once I get some Aspirin and see a certain man about a vampire." Xander stood up and tipped an imaginary hat to a giggling Buffy. He smiled and shook Giles' hand. "Take care of our girl, ok Rupert?"

"Always, Xander. Always." Giles watched the young, construction worker walk away. When he was certain the coast was clear he knelt down beside his slayer. "Now, why, might I ask, would you decide that Riley wasn't the one for you?"

Buffy smiled up at her watcher with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Oh it was something Spike told me about needing a little bit of darkness in me. He said that no Slayer would ever be satisfied with a normal life, picket fence, 2.5 kids, dog, that sort of thing. He said we needed someone older and more exciting. He was right."

"Oh really. So I suppose that you're going to turn tail and run back to LA and tell Angel of your undying … oomph," Giles started as he was knocked on his butt and promptly straddled by a spry young woman. Buffy wrinkled up her nose at him and started to tickle his chest.

"Oh I don't think that will be necessary. See, I'm much more interested in a certain ex-librarian, ex-watcher who is an animal in bed." Giles chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at her direct comments. Buffy laughed and rolled off him.

"Oh I think I like this side of you luv." Giles twined his fingers in her hair as she lay facing the clouds above. "So how long before we tell them their spell didn't work because we switched the potions?"

"Oh, let's wait till after Wills makes cookies." Buffy giggled once more as she got up from the ground and started to run around the open field behind her. "And then we can even tell them that we're a couple. But her cookies are so-so-so good."

"And, you my heart, are so-so-so bad," Giles retorted as he got up to catch her. "Now come here and let me show you how much I love you." Buffy smiled and shook her head. The chase was half the fun.


End file.
